System and kit for attachment to a support structure of a control panel for a high-volume low speed fan

ABSTRACT

A system and kit for securing a high-volume low speed (HVLS) fan that secures the control panel to a structural support member and is in turn attached to a mount member. An extension tube extends between and is secured to the mount member and a fan motor shaft. The placement of the control panel near the HVLS system reduces the potential for inadvertent access to the control panel when placed closer to ground level. Inadvertent access can yield to electrocutions and create a fire hazard. Additionally, the aesthetics are greatly improved when the control panel is in alignment with the HVLS supporting structural members.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. Application No. 63/157,965 filed on Mar. 8, 2021.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure is directed to the placement of a control panel for a high-volume low speed (HVLS) fan adjacent a structural member supporting the fan. The system and kit disclosed herein direct placement of a HVLS fan control panel compliant with the Underwriters Laboratories 508A standard.

BACKGROUND

Because of their size large HVLS fans are mounted to building structural members such as an I-beam, Glulam beam, Unistrut, steel truss or a purlin. Disclosed herein is a system and kit to address the electrical power and control wiring needs of an HVLS fan by integrating an electrical enclosure into the mount assembly that is certified to meet the standard for the construction of industrial control panels [UL 508A].

The scope of UL 508A includes all control panels including enclosed control panels and control panels with environmental control devices. UL 508A encompasses a broad range of requirements for industrial control panels, primarily the electrical requirements around those control panels to include how they are operated and installed. UL 508A is critically important for the design of industrial equipment, industrial machinery, processing equipment and similar equipment such as high-volume low speed (HVLS) fans. The industrial equipment and control panels are by law covered under the requirements of the National Electric Code (NEC NFPA 70) and must be suitable for use. UL 508A is the standard for suitability for use of industrial control panels.

HVLS fan control panels have traditionally been positioned at a location not proximate to the fan and often in undesirable locations to allow ready access to and wiring of the panels during installation. This installation methodology creates unsightly placement of control panel boxes within the occupied space and can even lead to an unsafe setting should an unauthorized individual gain access to the electrical power and control wiring that extends to the control panel from the power source and the operator's control module.

SUMMARY

In accordance with preferred embodiments of the device disclosed herein, some of the aesthetic and functional challenges associated with the routing of electrical wiring of HVLS fans are overcome.

The apparatus disclosed herein integrates an industrial electrical enclosure compliant with UL 508A with the HVLS fan mounting system. This design allows the HVLS fan to be fastened to the mount apparatus and the mount apparatus secured to the electrical enclosure. A plate secured to the top of the control panel may then be secured to the building structural element.

These, together with other aspects of the device disclosed herein, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the technology, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and form a part of this disclosed technology. For a better understanding of the disclosed technology, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated exemplary embodiments of the disclosed technology.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Illustrative embodiments of the disclosed HVLS fan with structural support member mounted control panel system and kit are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, which are incorporated by reference herein and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of an HVLS fan with a control panel disposed between a mount member and a structural support member;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of an assembled control panel;

FIG. 2A illustrates an exploded assembly view of an embodiment of a control panel;

FIG. 3 illustrates an elevation view of an embodiment of a universal mount;

FIG. 4 illustrates an elevation view of an embodiment of a rapid industrial mount;

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the underside of a control panel as disclosed herein;

FIG. 6 illustrates an elevation view of an embodiment of a control panel secured to structural support member with a mount member secured beneath the control panel;

FIG. 7 illustrates an elevation view of an embodiment of a control panel secured to a sloped structural support member with a fully assembled HVLS fan beneath the control panel;

FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of an extension tube;

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of an HVLS fan motor and upwardly extending mount tube;

FIG. 10 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of an HVLS fan system mounted to a I-beam;

FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of an HVLS fan system mounted to a Glulam beam;

FIG. 11A illustrates a front elevation view of an embodiment of a control panel mounted to a Glulam beam;

FIG. 12 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of an HVLS fan system mounted to a Unitstrut; and

FIG. 13 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of rapid industrial mount disposed beneath a control panel that in turn is disposed beneath a separation mount that is secured to a structural support member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Illustrated at FIG. 1 is a system 10 for mounting a high-volume low speed (HVLS) fan 12 with an associated control panel 14 mounted directly above the fan motor 16 to a structural support member 20. Unlike other HVLS fans that require the control panel enclosure be secured to a fixed wall near the fan, the system as disclosed herein requires the control panel 14 be mounted above the fan and secured to the structural support member 20 or members and the fan suspended from and secured to the control panel 14.

The general configuration of the system 10 as disclosed herein includes the support member 20 providing structural support to the building or open-air space in which the HVLS fan is located. The HVLS control panel 14 is mounted to the structural support member 20 which may be of any number of configurations and fabricated from different materials. Some of the various types of structural support members contemplated by this disclosure will be discussed in greater detail below.

As illustrated at FIGS. 2 and 2A, the control panel 14 is central to the system 10 as disclosed herein. The control panel 14 includes a housing 22 with an upper plate 24 and at least one lower surface 26. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, when in an installed configuration, residing beneath the housing 22 of the control panel 14 is a mount member 30. The mount member 30 may optionally include a universal mount 32 as shown in FIG. 3 or a rapid industrial mount 34 as shown in FIG. 4. Both mount configurations 32, 34 include an upper attachment plate 38, 40 with slots or through holes 42 therein. As illustrated at FIG. 5, threaded fasteners 44 are utilized to secure the upper attachment plate 38, 40 to attachment flanges 46 at the lower surface 26 of the control panel 14.

As illustrated at FIG. 3, the universal mount 32 consists of a pair of hinges 50, 52 located close together, oriented at 90° to each other and connected by cross shafts 54, 56. The universal mount 32 allows articulation of the connection between the control panel 14 and the fan motor 16. If, for example, the HVLS fan 12 is mounted to a support member 20 that is sloped, see FIG. 7, the control panel 14 must be mounted to the structural support member 20 at the angle of slope. To facilitate this angle of inclination/declination the universal mount 32 is designed to accommodate the angular orientation of the control panel 14. The universal mount 32 will pivot to allow the blades 60 of the HVLS fan 12 to remain fully horizontal. Electrical power as well as digital or analog communication wiring is passed through the control panel 14 and routed through the universal mount 32. No matter the angle of inclination/declination, within prescribed safe limits, the universal mount 32 can accommodate the orientation and allow the fan blades 60 to remain horizontal. The rapid industrial mount 34; however, is specifically configured to rigidly connect the attachment plate 46 of the lower surface 26 of the control panel 14 to the upper surface 64 of the rapid industrial mount 34. The rapid industrial mount 34 does not accommodate a sloped structural support member 20. The attachment preferably occurs with threaded fasteners passing through openings in both the upper attachment plate 40 of the rapid industrial mount 34 and the attachment plate 46 of the lower surface 26 of the control panel 14.

As illustrated at FIGS. 3 and 4, disposed beneath the mount member 30 is a mount tube 68. The mount tube 68 is a thin-walled tube that extends no more than a few inches downward from a base plate 66 of the mount member 30. This mount tube 68 typically has two sets of diametrically opposed through holes 70 that are used to secure the first end 72 of a slightly larger inner diameter extension tube 74 to the mount tube 68 by passing shear pins into the through holes 78 of the extension tube 74, as illustrated at FIG. 8, and then through the two sets of aligned through holes 70 in the mount tube 68. The shear pins prevent retraction of the first end 72 of the extension tube 74 from the mount tube 68.

At the second end 88 of the extension tube 74 are another two sets of diametrically opposed through holes 90 that connect the extension tube 74 to the fan motor shaft 94. As with the first end 69 of the extension tube 70, shear pins secure the extension tube 70 to the fan motor shaft 94 by passing through the two sets of diametrically opposed through holes 90 of the extension tube 74 and through the through holes 95 of the motor shaft 94. The shear pins 96 prevent retraction of the fan motor shaft 94 from the extension tube 70 due to the weight of the HVLS fan 12.

The structural support member 20 may include any of a Glulam beam, a purlin, an I-beam, a steel truss or a Unistrut all of which can support the system 10 to include the control panel 14. The attachment of the control panel 14 to an I-beam 100 is illustrated at FIG. 10. The I-beam 100 has two opposed lower flanges 102, 104 that serve to support the control panel 14. As illustrated at FIG. 6, two I-beam clamps 106, 108 along with threaded fasteners 110 are used to secure the upper plate 24 of the control panel housing 22 to the opposed flanges 102, 104. The clamps 106, 108 utilize a flat plate member 112 and a downwardly extending flange 114 on each side of the I-beam 100. Just prior to the downwardly extending flange 114 is at least one through hole 116. Threaded fasteners 110 are passed through the holes 116 in the flat plate member 112 and through holes 120 in overhanging segments 122, 124 of the upper plate 24 of the control panel housing 22. These fasteners 110 are used to capture and apply pressure to the I-beam flanges 102, 104. Once fully tightened the fasteners 110 in combination with the I-beam clamps 106, 108 and the overhanging segments 122, 124 rigidly secure the control panel in position against the I-beam flanges 102, 104.

FIGS. 11 and 11A illustrate the attachment of the control device to a Glulam beam 128. In this attachment embodiment, L-shaped brackets 130, 132 are secured to each side 134, 136 of the beam 128. The brackets 130, 132 have a longer segment 140, 142 that is vertically oriented against the beam 128 and shorter segments 144, 146 that extend outwardly at about 90 degrees from the Glulam beam 128 when installed. The longer segments 140, 142 have through holes 150 for passing threaded fasteners 152 through to the opposite side of the beam 128. The shorter segments 144, 146 also include through holes 156 for passing fasteners 158 into the through holes 120 fabricated into the overhanging segments 122, 124 of the upper plate 24 of the control panel housing 22.

In yet another embodiment, the control panel 14 is attached to a Unistrut 160 as illustrated at FIG. 12. The Unistrut 160 consists of two parallel members 162, 164 that span between trusses 168, 170. The overhanging segments 122, 124 of the upper plate 24 of the control panel housing 22 are mounted to the parallel Unistrut members 162, 164 by threaded fasteners and appropriate mounting hardware (not shown).

As illustrated at FIG. 2A, the control panel housing 22 is preferably C-shaped and comprises two inwardly extending opposed flanges 178, 180 disposed beneath the upper plate 24. The two inwardly extending flanges 178, 180 are operable to support an enclosure 182 for either a variable frequency drive 184, or alternatively, a motor controller. The two inwardly extending flanges 178, 180 serve to support the enclosure 182 and either the enclosed variable frequency drive 184 or motor controller. The housing 14 is extremely robust with wall thickness at preferably no less than 3 GA sheet steel (0.252 inches).

For a control panel 14 to be capable of, for example, supporting the weight of a 24-foot diameter HVLS fan driven by a 2 HP motor and weighing in at over 435 pounds the housing 14, upper plate 24 and inwardly extending flanges 178, 180 must be capable of resisting considerable loads. The housing 14 assembly further includes a front plate 190 with a through hole 192 for access by at least one of a cable gland of a power cable or a communication cable 194. The housing 14 assembly also includes a back plate 196 with a through hole 198 for insertion of a communication cable. The control panel 14 as disclosed herein complies with Underwriters Laboratories certification standard 508A Standard for Industrial Panels and the entire HVLS fan system 10 is compliant with UL 507 Standard for Electric Fans.

There may be installation scenarios where the system 10 requires the installation of a separation mount 200 as illustrated at FIG. 13. The separation mount 200 is disposed between the structural support member 20 and the upper plate 24 of the control panel 14. The separation mount is employed in certain countries to comply with safety standards. Whether a separation mount 200 is employed or not, the system 10 as disclosed herein routes electrical and control wiring along the support member 20 and into the control panel 14. The control wiring leads to an operator's panel (not shown) that allows the building occupant to set the speed and direction of rotation.

The variable frequency drive or motor controller then sends electrical power and commands to the HVLS fan motor 16 via wiring 202 that extends downward from the controller through an opening 204 in the enclosure 182. The wiring 202 may extend through a separation mount 200 if one is installed or may extend directly through a universal mount 32 or rigid industrial mount 34. Upon reaching the terminus end of either the universal mount 32 or rigid industrial mount 34, the wiring 202 extends beyond the base plate of the mount member 30 and into the mount tube 68. Upon entering the mount tube 68 the wiring 202 continues to transit into the extension tube 74 before finally entering the fan motor shaft 94. The

The kit as disclosed herein comprises the HVLS fan motor 16, blades 60, extension tube 74, mount member 30 and control panel 14 that is specifically configured for attachment to a structural support member 20. The control panel 14 as previously detailed comprises a housing 22 that is preferably fabricated from at least 3 GA thickness steel plate, is C-shaped with an upper plate 24 with through holes 206 for attachment to the structural support member 20. The lower surface 26 of the control panel housing 22 includes two inwardly extending flanges 178, 180 each with preferably at least two through holes located in each of the inwardly extending flanges for insertion of fasteners that are also fastened to a mount member 30 that supports the HVLS fan 12 beneath the control panel 14. The control panel 14 of the kit includes either a variable frequency drive (VFD) or a motor controller 184 enclosed within an enclosure 182 thereby further protecting the sensitive electronics of the VFD or motor controller from outside impacts during shipping and installation.

The disclosed system and kit should not be construed as limiting in any way. Instead, the present disclosure is directed toward all novel and nonobvious features and aspects of the various disclosed embodiments, alone and in various combinations and sub-combinations with one another. The disclosed apparatus and systems are not limited to any specific aspect or feature or combination thereof, nor do the disclosed embodiments require that any one or more specific advantages be present or problems be solved.

In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the disclosed invention may be applied, it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are only examples of the disclosure and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims. We therefore claim as our invention all that comes within the scope of these claims.

The disclosure presented herein is believed to encompass at least one distinct invention with independent utility. While the at least one invention has been disclosed in exemplary forms, the specific embodiments thereof as described and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense, as numerous variations are possible. Equivalent changes, modifications, and variations of the variety of embodiments, materials, compositions, and methods may be made within the scope of the present disclosure, achieving substantially similar results. The subject matter of the at least one invention includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed herein and their equivalents.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein regarding specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element or combination of elements that may cause any benefits, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be considered as critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims of at least one invention.

Many changes and modifications within the scope of the instant disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and the one or more inventions described herein include all such modifications. Corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all elements in the claims are intended to include any structure, material, or acts for performing the functions in combination with other claim elements as specifically recited. The scope of the one or more inventions should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples set forth herein.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein regarding specific embodiments. Furthermore, the connecting lines, if any, shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in a practical system. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of the inventions.

The scope of the inventions is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to “at least one of A, B, or C” is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or that any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C. Different cross-hatching is used throughout the figures to denote different parts but not necessarily to denote the same or different materials.

In the detailed description herein, references to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a feature, structure, or characteristic is described relating to an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic relating to other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. After reading the description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the disclosure in alternative embodiments.

Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.” As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. 

We claim:
 1. A system for mounting a high-volume low speed fan, the system comprising: a structural support member: a control panel comprising a housing with an upper plate and at least one lower surface, the control panel secured to the structural support member; a mount member with a base member, the mount member secured to and disposed beneath the lower surface of the housing; and an extension tube with a first end and a second end, the first end of the extension tube disposed beneath the base member of the mount member and the second end disposed proximate a housing for the drive motor of the high-volume low speed fan.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the structural support member is at least one of a Glulam beam, a purlin, an I-beam, a steel truss or a Unistrut.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the control panel housing is secured to each flange of the I-beam with an I-beam clamp and at least two threaded fasteners.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein each I-beam clamp comprises a flat plate member with first and second longitudinally disposed edges, the second edge extending downwardly away from the flat plate.
 5. The system of claim 2, wherein the housing is secured to the Glulam beam with opposing L-shaped brackets, a single L-shaped bracket disposed on each side of the Glulam beam.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the L-shaped bracket comprises a long plate and a short plate disposed at approximately 90 degrees to the long plate.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein each short plate is outwardly extending from the Glulam beam and the short plate is secured to the upper plate of the control panel by threaded fasteners passing through aligned openings in both the upper plate of the housing and the short plate of the L-shaped bracket.
 8. The system of claim 2, wherein the upper plate of the control panel housing is secured with fasteners to two Unistrut support elements.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of a variable frequency drive or a motor controller is disposed within the housing of the control panel.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is C-shaped and comprises two inwardly extending flanges disposed beneath the upper plate, the two inwardly extending flanges operable to support an enclosure for the variable frequency drive.
 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the housing comprises a front plate with a through hole for access by at least one of a cable gland of a power cable or a communication cable.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the housing comprises a back plate with a through hole for insertion of a communication cable.
 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the control panel complies with Underwriters Laboratories certification standard 508A.
 14. The system of claim 1, wherein a separation mount is disposed between the structural support member and the upper plate of the control panel.
 15. The system of claim 1, wherein electrical wiring is disposed within the tube extending between the control panel and a drive motor of the high-volume low speed fan.
 16. The system of claim 1, wherein the mount member is at least one of a universal mount or a rapid mount.
 17. A kit for mounting a high-volume low speed fan to a structural member, the kit comprising: a control panel comprising a housing with an upper plate and a lower surface, the control panel secured to the structural member; a mount member with a base member, the universal mount secured to and disposed beneath the lower surface of the control panel housing; an extension tube with a first end and a second end; and a motor housing for a high-volume low speed fan, wherein the first end of the drop extension tube is disposed proximate the base member of the mount member and the second end is disposed proximate the motor housing of the high-volume low speed fan.
 18. The kit of claim 17, wherein the upper plate comprises two longitudinally opposed edges that overhang the housing.
 19. The kits of claim 17, wherein the lower surface of the housing comprises a plurality of inwardly extending flanges.
 20. The kit of claim 19, wherein an enclosure is disposed within the housing and is supported by the inwardly extending flanges.
 21. The kit of claim 20, wherein the enclosure encloses at least one of a variable frequency drive or a motor controller. 